Metal detecting for beginners

This post comes from Kentin Waits at partner blog Wise Bread.

As a kid, the majority of my 10th and 11th years was spent poring over treasure-hunting magazines. I was a budding archeologist, coin collector, historian, and ghost town adventurer wrapped into one junior-sized Indiana Jones.

When I realized there was a device available that could turn any backyard into a potential dig site, I had to have one. I honed in on my parents' own proclivities toward antiquing, collecting and exploring to make my case. I petitioned them for a metal detector like most other kids my age begged for a new bike or skateboard. (See also: "100 ways to make a little extra cash.")

Since my record of past requests was fairly modest and I tended to take very good care of my things, the folks indulged me. I was the proud owner of a brand new Garrett Groundhog detector by the time I was 12. Fast-forward 30 years and I'm still detecting -- still finding small treasures and great joy in this curious pastime.

Metal detecting is often misunderstood by the general public. It's typically a solitary activity that most people look upon with a mix of curiosity and comedy. We're a varied bunch, but we generally fall into four broad groups: the mineral hunter, the relic hunter, the beachcomber, and the coin shooter.

• Bing:What are old coins worth?

Mineral hunters use their detectors to "mine" gold or locate other valuable minerals based on local geography. Relic hunters look for artifacts, not necessarily coins or jewelry (think Civil War enthusiasts looking for Confederate belt buckles or musket balls). Beachcombers are looking for anything of value -- modern coins, jewelry, etc. Post continues after video.

Coin shooters focus on older, more valuable U.S. coinage. Dimes and quarters produced before 1965 contain silver, while the same coins produced after 1964 are "clad" (composed of baser metals like zinc and copper).

Where's the money?

But whatever category a detectorist falls within, he's a treasure hunter through and through. As hobbies go, there are few others that can combine sunshine, fresh air, and moderate exercise with a dash of adventure and the potential for profit.

Yes, metal detecting can be profitable, but that profit is driven by research, networking, common sense, dedication, and -- of course -- a little luck. For most detectorists, every hour working a site is the result of three to four hours of research and scouting.

As a coin shooter, I look for clues all around me to determine where people once gathered because -- much like today -- where people go, coins get lost. I know that the biggest tree in the old city park was probably where most folks gathered on a hot summer day. I know the open field next to the old schoolhouse was most likely the baseball field or playground. Like all old-coin hunters, I read the remnants of stone foundations like fortune tellers read tea leaves.

And then I wait. Metal detecting is an exercise in patience and persistence. Like most things in life, the rewards are hard-won. Sites get hit by other hunters and become tapped out, remote areas get overgrown, and I'm always fighting the weather. But even on perfect days with the freshest location, successful detecting takes a zen-like calmness and steely determination.

Hours might go by with no finds, junk finds, or just a few average finds (wheat pennies, post-1964 clad coins, etc). On particularly rough hunts, it seems like I'm in the business of professionally recovering rusty bottle caps and old nails.

But then there are those rare moments -- unmatched by few things in modern life -- when I pull something of real value out of the dirt. That gleam of a silver Mercury dime (1916-1945) or, better yet, a Barber quarter (1892-1916) snaps me out of my stupor and reminds me why I devoted two hours finding the exact location of this old schoolyard and spent 45 minutes in the car to get here. I'm immediately time-warped to the day that coin was lost, and I unearth it with something close to reverence.

On particularly good days, I might pull two or three of these "silvers" from their hiding places. Once, last summer, after hearing my detector's familiar beep, I found a perfect 1865 silver dime just lying in the grass -- no digging required. Those are the moments that keep all detectorists going.

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